Past Dreaming
by violafanatic
Summary: "We're not a freak of nature or a science experiment gone wrong. Stop looking at us for a scapegoat, and do something to freakin' fix yourselves before trying to 'fix' us. Got that?" When the world finds a way to achieve a new level of peace, stability, and tolerance by pinning all their problems on another group. Well, nothing creates camaraderie like solidarity. Mutant AU
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

"Freeze!" cried the officer.

"One step ahead of you," came a cool voice. A lean, white haired man gave the cop a coy smirk as he proceeded to cover the ground in frost with a flourish of his hand. Mist shot out of his hand, turning into frost upon contact with any surface, while a particular bit of the mist concentrated around the officer's feet, encasing the shoes in a prison of ice, effectively halting all of the policeman's prior advancements.

"You little piece of-"

"Uh uh, watch that tongue, officer." Jack chided as he expertly scaled a nearby apartment building on his way toward the roof. Understanding Jack's getaway intentions, the cop took out his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Officer... Maximus, was it?" Jack paused in his trek to playfully tap his chin in fake thought. "Wouldn't want to disturb civilians by endangering them now, would you? A bullet could easily go through the wall and..." Jack made a gun with his hand and pointed it to his head, letting the action finish his sentence. Officer Maximus growled in frustration and began using the butt of his weapon to chip away the ice at his feet.

"Seems like our little encounter must come to an end. I would say that I'd like to stay and chat, but my mother raised me to not be a liar," the white haired teen drawled, "I could say that I'd see you later, but I would prefer not having to see your face again." Jack smirked, one hand hanging onto the roof ledge and the other giving a mock salute. In a fluid motion, he propelled himself to the top of the building, tauntingly waving the stolen manila folder in his hands in the process.

The officer let out a string of curses directed at both the thief and the ice around his feet, which he had barely made a dent in.

"This'll teach you to stay out of our hair," Jack called out. Officer Maximus watched in horror as the man jumped off the building, but just before thief could land on top of him, a strong gust of wind blew at them and carried away the man into the night.

"Damn you, Jack Frost!" cried Maximus as he stood at his spot uselessly. "Damn all you mutants!"

* * *

*AN: I prefer the comedy genre but I wanted to try out a plot bunny that's been in my head for a while now. Just want to see how this goes. I may just stick to one-shots. Much less commitment to worry about.

One more thing- I'm not particularly fond of making author's notes, so I won't be making a lot of them. :) But I do appreciate all the readers, followers, favorite-ers?, reviewers, etc, whether they be from this story or one of my others. I just don't voice it out as much as I should. Feel free to pm me though.


	2. No 1: Una Mattina

_Una Mattina_

A click. A scroll. A press of a button.

That was all it took to drastically alter the course of one's life and it sickened Elsa to the core.

But as of the moment, she sat in her office chair with her hand supporting a tired head while she looked boredly at the screen before her.

"Geez, Elsa. At least try and look alive some days." Gerda said entering her office. Elsa turned in her seat to give Gerda a tired smile.

"I will when there's something worth being alive for."

Gerda smirked good-naturedly at Elsa usual response.

"Goodness, always the Debbie Downer. Although you are a lovely girl through and through, it's no wonder as to why you're still single," the coworker teased before giving the blonde a knowing look and leaving Elsa to attend to her own work. Elsa shot back a half-hearted smile and watched as the older woman left her office. Once Elsa heard her office door click shut, she swiveled in her chair and began typing furiously, eyes quickly scanning the screen.

 _ **Case:** Iroas v. Zootopia_

 _ **Facts:**_ _Human plantiff encountered Strength Mutant outside of apartment complex and suffered severe injuries as a result of an altercation due to Defendant's claims of Plantiff's attempted burglary of residency. There is no evidence supporting Defendant's claim, whereas the Plantiff suffered a broken leg, a fractured shoulder, broken nose, and several minor injuries to the torso. Defendant shows no sign of major injury_

 _ **Issue:**_ _Does the Defendant's actions allow for further precautionary measures to be taken to avoid future disruptions by Defendant?_

 _ **Holding:**_ _(Vote: 9-0) Yes; The Defendant exhibited illegal, rogue Mutant behavior that poses a large risk to the surrounding Human community._

 _Defendant is found guilty of excessive violence and illegal Mutant action. The following lists the repercussions dictated by the Higher Court of Zootopia..._

Elsa groaned frustratedly. She remembered this case. She was in attendance from start to finish.

Hercules Iroas, godson of Chief of Police, Zeus Olympius. She knew little of Hercules before the incident, but she did know that he would not perform 'illegal Mutant actions' unless forced to do so, and he is definitely not 'rogue'. Elsa frowned at the screen.

While the case file appeared objective at a glance, she knew that it was biased in favor of the Human Plantiff. The case file failed to include that Hercules fought against The Hydra, a band of professional thieves, rather than just one petty burglar. A witness to the stand had testified that the group had tied her up and was going to kill her if Hercules had not intervened. Even with super strength, Hercules had great difficulty fending off the attackers and had some major injuries himself. The only reason they were not reported was because of Mutants' natural ability to heal quicker.

While most of the thieves got away, one didn't, and was found badly injured in his failed attempt to escape by jumping from the second story. As expected, he was brought immediately to the hospital while Hercules was brought in for questioning. The only reason the case hadn't made major news was because Zeus intervened. But having the case be held privately was the most the officer could do.

Elsa felt the onset of the usual migraine she got when dealing with cases of Human stupidity. There was a plethora of eye witnesses and evidence in defense of Hercules, but the court did not see any of this to be important enough, and both the attempted robbery and attempted murder was made into a case of rogue Mutant behavior.

The screen of her computer showed a mugshot of a sleep-deprived Hercules whose eyes reflected the same fear he held the day the verdict was made. Elsa sighed. She should have made that detour on her way to work and got herself another bottle of painkillers.

Glancing at Hercules' verdict box, Elsa highlighted it and began changing what she could. He went from violent, unstable Mutant to stable Mutant who is only defensive when aggravated, safe in social environments. She unchecked the 'aggressive' box and changed his status back to 'harmless', doing what she could to lessen the severity of his case. After replacing all of the Human's injuries with 'light bruises', Elsa cautiously looked around her to make sure she was alone before she hit the submit button.

Once these major cases were taken care of Elsa could feel herself relax again. However, she hated the fact that merely because he was a Mutant, Hercules would still have to face a harsh sentence. This one mistake will remain with him forever, haunting him, plaguing him, and stripping him of his mobility and freedom.

He was an easy target for the government and for the mutant-fearing/loathing society.

And it was her job to officialize his criminal record and enter it into the system.

While she may be an office worker, Elsa Arens does not do meaningless secretarial work. At least, she likes to think she doesn't. She works as the Manager of the Criminal Department for the Fair and Equal Abilities Regulators, or F.E.A.R., a government funded organization directed to regulate Human and Mutant relations. While they attempt to provide 'equality', this honestly just meant that Mutants would face greater scrutiny because they have 'an advantage in life'. As if Mutant lives were made any easier when the community at large did not trust Mutants. Simply put, you're either human, or you're dangerous.

Elsa dealt with cases like this on a day-to-day basis. While her job was to skim the page for any minor mistakes, such as grammar, punctuation, and even just incorrect information, whenever she could, she would change a few tidbits of the file to make the verdict a little lighter and more fair for the Mutant who, more often than not, was at the losing end of the deal.

Scanning through the other files, she noticed that there was only one Mutant case that day, the other files merely composed of the norm among Humans: disputes over parking, loans, and the like. Returning to her resting position with her head propped on one hand, she jumped at a sudden intrusion when her door opened abruptly.

"Elsa!" She recognized the nasally voice of her co-worker.

"What is it Hans," she asked, not bothering to turn around.

"The boss wants to see you _immediately_." At this, Elsa turned around with a brow raised.

"What for?"

"Beats me. But you know better than to keep him waiting," Hans said in a sing-song voice as he tapped his watch. Hans Isles was basically the living definition of a kiss-up, which allowed him to climb the vocational latter to the position of Mr. Weselton's secretary, or as Elsa liked to call, his personal cheerleader.

"Tick-tock Ms. Arens," Hans chimed while strolling away. Scowling at the back of his artificially red hair, Elsa wished so much that she were a mutant with laser eye abilities right at that moment. Unfortunately, she wasn't, and she got up from her chair and began her trek to the CEO's office.

Passing a few cubicles on her way, she noticed a couple of stray glances directed toward her and she couldn't help but be unnerved by the silence that blanketed the entire floor. Arriving at the large oak door at the end of the hall, Elsa held up her blue Human Identification Tag (HIT) for the security guard at the door. Verifying that it was hers, the guard let her enter into the dimly lit office.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Elsa stared at the back of the chair behind the desk. Upon hearing her voice, the chair turned to reveal the small weaselly man sitting in the middle of it, a majority of his face covered by his mustache, making him just look like a mustache with a body.

"Ah, yes Ms. Arens. It has come to my attention that we have made a grave mistake today," the mustache uttered solemnly. At this, Elsa froze but refused to let her face give anything away as she maintained her calm exterior. Taking her silence as a go-ahead to continue, Mr. Weselton continued.

"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday!" The voice sounded happy but she couldn't decipher if he was smiling or not because of his mustache curtain.

"I-I didn't see a point in doing so, Mr. Weselton-"

"Call me Duke, Elsa," the mustache's ends lifted, which Elsa deduced meant that he was smiling.

"I'd rather not-" she mumbled uncomfortably only to be cut off by his incessant chatter.

"Nonsense, we're all friends here," he winked at her, making Elsa shudder in disgust involuntarily. "Since you work so hard, you should take the rest of the day off. Spend some time with your family." Hearing the last bit, Elsa returned to her grim demeanor.

"It's fine. I still have a couple of files to work on."

"I won't hear another word. You can just forward those files off to Hans. Relax a little."

Staring at the mustached man for a moment, Elsa relented and gave a tentative smile.

"Of course. Thank you, Mr. Weselton," she turned to leave, but before her hand reached the doorknob, his shrill voice added:

"By the way, Elsa. Here is a little birthday gift from me," he said, holding up a heart shaped box of chocolates. Out of courtesy, she slowly walked to his desk and accepted the gift with an awkward murmur of thanks.

"Make sure to read the note I included," he winked. Elsa flinched at the action and dismissed herself quickly before making her escape from the office.

Once she was in the safety of the hall, she opened the note attached to the box of chocolates.

You. Me. Dinner at Gusteau's at 8PM. Wear something pretty.  
Duke

Next to his signature was a smudge vaguely similar to a kiss mark. Almost throwing the note to the floor, along with her lunch, Elsa quickly shut the piece of paper, careful not to touch the smudge, and fast walked away from the oak doors behind her. Not wanting to waste a good box of chocolates, Elsa made a quick detour to Hans' office, and dropped off the chocolates at his desk before leaving to pack her things to go home.

* * *

Unlocking the door to her upstate apartment, Elsa silently flicked on the lights as she proceeded to shed herself of the thin clothing she wore. Abandoning her cardigan in favor of a gossamer nightgown, she let her bun down into it's braid form and walked to her kitchen. Taking out a bottle of aged wine, she didn't bother getting a glass as she snapped her head back and took in greedy gulps of the beverage, trying to drown the headache that snowballed throughout the day into the violent pangs she was currently experiencing.

Letting out a tired exhale, she stared at the bottle.

"Rapunzel would kill me for what I'm doing to my liver." Elsa smiled at the thought of her doctor friend. Looking around at her empty apartment, she opted to take a seat outside on her balcony.

While the apartment was not large, it was still costly mainly because of the view it had. Overlooking most of Zootopia, Elsa could see how peaceful the city was, clad in white snow, making it look like a nice snowglobe scene. The city was always cloudy, and today was no exception. Little flurries began falling from the sky as Elsa made no attempt to shelter herself from the wind that became increasingly harsher. Caught in her own world, Elsa's eyes roamed the city but she saw nothing at all.

* * *

 _"Elsa, let's go make snowmen!"_

" _Snow_ men _? Please. Come on, Elsa. We'll make the best snow_ women _ever and show that stupid Jack." Merida stuck out her tongue at the brunette boy. In response to that, he threw a snowball at the curly redhead and this erupted into an all-out war between the boys and girls who began taking sides. Elsa stood by awkwardly, not sure whose side to choose at the moment. Face scrunched in concentration, she failed to notice the headmaster approaching._

 _"Aren't you guys forgetting something?"_

 _Elsa turned around to find Grand Pabbie standing behind the group of kids playing in the snow. Although he was probably 3 times their age, he was the same height as most of them, allowing him to look all the more approachable._

 _"Forgetting what, Grand Pabbie?" Elsa tilted her head in confusion._

 _"Today is a certain someone's birthday," he smiled at her, who blushed at the realization that she forgot her own birthday._

 _Although his words were muted by the noise of kids playing in the background, a certain brown haired boy was able to catch the sentence, as if the wind brought the words to his ear, and he stopped in the middle of making a snowball, instead choosing to sneak off back into the house._

 _"It's okay, Grand Pabbie. Getting to be with my friends is good enough for me, really." Elsa said shyly. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see a pouting Anna._

 _"Elsa, I told you before. We. Are. Not. Friends." Elsa's eyes widened in shock at the statement and she could feel her lower lip tremble. "We're family now!" Anna's face broke out into a face splitting grin before she pounced on the blonde, engulfing her in a bear hug._

 _"But I don't want to be family with her," whined a voice which Elsa recognized to belong to Jack. His words bothered her for some reason._

 _"And why not?" Anna cried indignantly._

 _"B-be-because. I don't want to see Elsa as my sister. I rather see her as a girl," Jack mumbled the last part under the his breath as a blush took over his face. Elsa couldn't help but feel the onset of a blush reach her own cheeks as well. Luckily, she wore her hair down and her long bangs covered most of her face. However, Anna couldn't seem to comprehend what was happening and yelled at Jack, swatting his arm angrily._

 _"Are you saying that me being your sister doesn't make me a girl?!" Pabbie burst out laughing at this and consoled an angrily confused Anna, promising her chocolate chip cookies if she went with him inside the house, giving the two kids some time to themselves._

 _Jack squirmed in his spot as Elsa dug the tip of her boot into the snow._

 _"I got you a gift. I know it's not much but it'll keep your hair out of your eyes. You should look up more, too, because, you know... you have pretty eyes." Elsa's blushed increased and she looked away quickly. Realizing what he just said, Jack's face burned red, as well. "Well, I mean for a girl." Elsa rolled her eyes at him but gladly accepted the small box wrapped haphazardly in blue tissue paper. She opened it to find a set of snowflake hair clips. A sparkling smile adorned her face and she would forever remember the image of a bashful Jack trying to keep a large grin from consuming his face._

 _"Thank you, Jack!"_

 _"Hap- happy Birthday, Elsa." Jack stammered. It didn't take long for the other children to join in and soon Elsa was surrounded by a chorus of 'Happy Birthdays'. Placing one of the snowflake clips into her loose bangs, Elsa lifted her hair to let her happy tears flow down her face._

* * *

A wetness on her cheek drew Elsa out of her reverie. Touching her face, Elsa didn't know whether her cheeks were wet because of tears or melted snow. She gave a humorless laugh at the plausibility of the latter happening.

Putting down the bottle of wine she had been cradling, Elsa leaned back in her lounge chair and reached up for her braid, gently stroking the aged snowflake clips weaved in her hair. The snow had fallen harder, blurring any view she once had of the city. But she didn't shiver. No, the cold never bothered her. In fact, she loved the cold. Embraced it. And with a flourish of her hand, some snowflakes began dancing in her outstretched palm, forming the face of a certain brown haired boy.

 _"Hap- happy Birthday, Elsa."_

"Yeah, happy birthday to me."


	3. No 2: Nuvole Nere

_Nuvole Nere_

Waking up to a dark room, Elsa looked to her night stand for the time. _3:29A.M._ It had taken her a few hours of tossing and turning to fall asleep and now here she was unable to stay asleep. Knowing that her efforts would be fruitless, Elsa rose from her bed, patting down the wrinkles that had gathered on her nightgown, and fluttered to her kitchen to make herself some tea to nurse her light hangover.

Reaching for a tea bag, she was interrupted by the sound of her home phone going off. Curious as to who could possibly be calling her at such an unholy time, she tentatively picked up the phone.

 _"Helllooo?"_ Elsa's ears quirked in recognition of Anna's voice.

"Oh, thank goodness." Elsa let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I didn't think it would be you. Why are you calling me so late at night? I could be sleeping-"

She was cut off by a snort on the other end.

 _"Please, knowing you, you probably haven't slept a wink. You never sleep well on your birthday, now that I think of it..."_ her voice trailing off. Then Anna suddenly gasped as if in remembrance. _"Oh, yes! The reason I called you. **Happy Birthday!** "_

Elsa cringed at the volume of Anna's voice, bringing the phone away from her ear out of fear of hearing loss.

"You'll need to scream louder, Anna, I don't think Uruguay caught that," Elsa said. But her sarcasm was drowned out by the redheads perpetual shouting.

 _"Kristoff! Kris, wake up! It's only 1A.M., why are you dead already?"_ Anna snapped at her husband. Elsa had forgotten that there was a time difference from Zootopia and Burgess.

 _"Where's the- the fire?"_ Kristoff mumbled groggily.

 _"It's Elsa's birthday! Or at least it was. I even got her a gift- I got you a gift, Elsa- and you just had to take me out for dinner-"_

 _"You weren't complaining."_ Kristoff quipped. There was a momentary silence on the other end as Elsa could imagine Anna's pouting at her husband.

 _"Oh shut up. You could still end up on the couch, mister. Now say happy birthday to my sister."_

 _"Anna, she's more my sister than your's._ "

 _"She's just as much my sister as she is yours."_ Anna's tone took on a possessive quality as she declared the next couple words as if it were her life's mantra. _"Besides, once you're part of the Disney Home, you'll always be part of the Disney family."_

* * *

 _"Welcome to Burgess. Hope you enjoy your stay, Little Miss," the train attendee chimed as he received her ticket. Elsa gave him a small nod and took shaky steps onto the platform, looking lost in the sea of strangers. The tiles weren't brick, the red walls weren't green, and the lazy snowflakes weren't falling in a blizzard-like fashion. She had come so far from Arendelle and the new environment was so different she could only quake in her little boots. Dragging along the small luggage case that contained what little belongings she had left, she looked around for any indication that someone from the Disney Home was there to pick her up._

 _"Elsa Arens?" said a friendly voice. Elsa looked to her left to see an old man, not much taller than she, holding a poster with her name scribbled in a combination of crayon, marker, and glitter. Observing his face for a second, she made the split second decision to trust the gentle looking man in front of her._

 _Seeing her nod her head, the man smiled. "Well then, nice to finally meet you. My name is Pabble, but you can just call me Grand Pabbie." Taking her luggage from her hand, he directed her to follow him with a tilt of his head towards a direction south of them. Walking through the crowded station, she almost lost sight of the man and quickly grasped onto his hand before she could fall behind even more. Noticing this, he stopped his trot and held on to her hand reassuringly._

 _"Don't be afraid, little one." And with that, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before approaching a bright red bus with 'Disney' scribbled on the side._

 _Unlike most orphanages, the Disney Home for the Specially Gifted was built specifically to house orphaned Mutant children whose parents either died or abandoned them. Under the tutelage of Pabble Stone, a Rock Mutant, the kids could learn to harness and control their powers without fear of discrimination or alienation. The institution was designed to ensure that, with its secluded location twenty miles away from the nearest home, large fields, and intimidating hills, the eight-story building was virtually protected from prying eyes. The main building sported over 50 rooms, a gym, and a school for the children, eliminating any need for constant interaction with the human community, save for the need for groceries._

 _According to legend, Grand Pabbie created the institution with his bare hands. Prior to the home, the estate hosted a modest hobble shared by Pabbie and his wife. When she died, he was left alone with no kids or blood family. Driven by the desire to fill this void, he built the Disney Home, whose namesake belongs to a miscarried son, in a mere 5 month._

 _Elsa gawked at the front yard that could have passed for a small park save for the lack of dogs and food carts. It sported an extensive playground and basketball court, obviously worn down from wear but usable and impressive nonetheless. What caught her attention immediately was not the size of the field, but the people occupying it. There were children littered not only in the trails and courts but in the trees and nearby stream as well, shooting fire, sand, and water from their hands, playing with a youthful abandon as if nothing were amiss._

 _Feeling a sudden breeze, Elsa looked above her to see more children flying in the air, some even appearing to even be in the middle of a spar as a young boy redirected a lightening bolt directed at him with a tunnel of wind that appeared to have been generated from his fingertips. Noticing her awe, Pabbie spoke, causing Elsa to snap her attention back to the tiny man next to her._

 _"There is no worry of ridicule here, Elsa. Each child here has had their share of cruelty that allows them to empathize with one another and accept their abilities as the gifts they are. We foster our talents and hone them, not repress them. You, too have a gift Elsa," Pabbie turned to look at her, his coal eyes warm. "Kristoff has told me so much about you." Upon hearing her brother's name, Elsa visibly relaxed. "Your brother has been eagerly talking about you for months now. He is glad that you have decided to finally join us. We all are."_

* * *

 _"Right, Elsa?"_ Anna's voice held an exasperated undertone as she repeated her question for what could have been her fifth time.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure. _"_ Elsa stuttered out of her musings.

 _"Geez, you're getting to be as bad as Kristoff about listening. He used to be such a great listener when we were dating. But apparently, once we're married the same requirements don't apply."_ Anna complained as Elsa could hear a faint 'hey' in the background.

Lifting the teacup to her lips, Elsa took a sip of the tea that was now lukewarm. She stared blankly at her wall, waiting for Anna to speak again.

 _"Listen here Elsa, you're twenty-one now and not getting any younger. I want nieces and nephews to coddle in my old age."_

"Anna, just have your own kids, then." Elsa sighed into the phone before placing it on the counter to look disinterestedly at her nails. When was the last time she went to the salon?

 _"When are you going to get out there again and mingle? There is nothing wrong with you except that mindset of yours. I'm sure this isn't what he would have wanted."_

Elsa froze in the middle of inspecting her fingers upon hearing Anna mention him. Any trace of a smile that she didn't even realize made it's way onto her face disappeared as Elsa raised the phone harshly to her ear.

"Don't talk about him. I don't even want to hear you mention him," she hissed. The other line went silent as she could hear a ruffle in the sheets to indicate that Kristoff was up and alert. Elsa's stance had immediately became guarded and her voice reflected it.

Counting to ten, Elsa took in a few deep breaths before speaking into the phone again, but her voice didn't lose its sharp edge.

"Look, Anna, I appreciate the thought but I told you that my birthday is nothing special. Everybody else has listened to me and stopped calling. I think you should follow suit." Elsa said, her voice tired as she spoke. "I need to get ready for work," Elsa stated, hanging up the phone before Anna got a chance to reply.

Blowing at a stray strand of blonde hair, Elsa ran a hand wearily across her face as she looked at a nearby clock. She still had four more hours before she was needed at the office and any semblance of sleep escaped her, signaling to her what she already knew, any attempts at sleep would be futile.

So instead she chose to look over the files she had brought home because while she was not supposed to bring the files home, she couldn't stomach the fact that she left work without finishing her work. So here she was at six in the morning looking over files that weren't supposed to leave F.E.A.R.

 _Well, I've done worse._

* * *

Caught up in a file about a rogue elastic mutant, Elsa didn't notice the time which was why she was currently running to work instead of taking the train she so conveniently missed. However, the file detailed a case where the mutant 'at fault' was guilty of, wait for it, tripping a human. Elsa swears that the crimes mutants are being tried for are getting pettier by the day.

But she calmed once she reminded herself that she can change this injustice once she got to her office. At least, that is, if she can even get in her office. At the moment, there was a large commotion going on in front of the F.E.A.R. towers with reporters and police cars crowding the doors. Pushing her way through, though not as gently as she most likely should have, Elsa ignored decorum as the familiar spinning doors came into view. Yet, before she could get there, she was roughly pulled aside by a police officer whose grip on her arm was near bruising.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but this is a crime scene. Police and employees only," the man warned.

"I do work here, and I'm late. If you would be so kind as to unhand me-"

"I will need to see your Human Identification Tag first," the officer frowned as he stuck out his hand, not pleased with her biting tone.

Glaring at the man, Elsa handed him her H.I.T., although she much rather give him an actual hit. Taking the card from her, he stared at the name before casting a wary glance back at her.

"Wait here for a moment, ma'am." And with that, the cop left her to finally assess the wreckage.

The once pristine building was scarred with an unsightly blemish, namely its entrance, as the rotating door appeared to have been blown off its hinges while shards of glass and stray wood chips decorated the inside of the building. Little spiderweb cracks could be seen running across the windows of the first few floors, indicating how precariously the glass was holding together. Stretching her neck to get a better view of the lobby, Elsa felt a gasp escape her as she saw a body being carried out on a stretcher. While the person was covered to preserve privacy, Elsa could still recognize the bulky figure of F.E.A.R.'s resident security guard, Ralph.

A cough attracted her attention as she once again came face to face with the cop. Except this time he brought an older looking man who appeared to be his superior.

"Is this Ms. Arens?" The older man asked his subordinate without taking his eyes off her. The pressure of his scrutinizing gaze made her shift uncomfortably.

"Yes, sir. And her H.I.T. is verified to be authentic. She's human, sir." The cop from earlier answered hurriedly, but he kept looking anxiously between her and the older man.

"Gosh, why is it suddenly snowing again," Elsa could hear someone whine behind her. "And it's only getting stronger by the second," a second person added.

"We'll take this inside. Let her in," the deputy barked to the officer next to him.

Relief flooded her as Elsa slipped inside the building. Immediately she requested to be allowed into her office.

"I don't think that is such a good idea-" the cop began but Elsa was hearing none of it. Her nerves at an all-time high, she didn't hesitate to snap at him.

"What's not a 'good idea' is interrupting the F.E.A.R. department because while you're sitting here playing Sherlock Holmes, criminals are piling up in district cells when they should be put behind bars in county prisons. What we do are just as important as what you do if not more so," she seethed as she shrugged away from the officer. "Excuse me, but I have _actual_ work to do."

Elsa could hear the distinct shouts behind her but she ignored it all in favor of getting to her office. However, what greeted her was nothing she ever expected.

Every square inch of her office was covered with a fine sheet of frost.


	4. No 3: Come Un Fiore

_**And So It Begins**_

* * *

How the conversation had returned to the topic of Elsa was beyond Jack. He honestly made every attempt at changing the conversation.

" _Merida, did you hear that there's some tomato disease going on? You should start stalking up before the world stops growing them."_

 _"Hiccup, I heard that Books, Books, and Beyond are having a Geek Day sale. You want to go?"_

 _"Bunny, my man, you wanted my iPod, right? You want to have a thoughtful discussion with me as to why I am on the brink of giving it to you?"_

 _"Anna? Insult me? Please?"_

But it was to no avail and all eyes were trained on the adoring couple across the cafeteria.

"I never thought she would move on that quickly!" Tooth stammered, tucking some of her multi-colored hair behind her ear.

"I didn't think she would move on at all!" Bunny exclaimed, throwing his arms up for emphasis.

"But they're still a tentative thing. Right, Anna?" Tooth looked at Anna who nodded in response.

"They're not serious or anything, yet."

Jack gave a bitter laugh. _Yet._

"You're uncharacteristically quiet, Jack," Merida observed from behind her fifth cup of tomato juice since she sat down. "Surely you have something more to say other than an admission to your 'hatred' for PDA."

"Nope. Nothing." Jack said bitterly.

Before Merida could say anything she was interrupted by Rapunzel slamming her tray on the table before taking the seat next to Jack.

"Jackson Overland _Pain-in-the-donkey_ Frost!" Jack cringed at the the shrill cry of the hyperactive blonde. "Why didn't you tell me you broke up with Elsa?" Her peridot eyes expressed the fire her small frame was barely containing. Jack could only gulp hesitantly. He forgot about Rapunzel.

"Maybe because he knew you would go on some psychotic screaming spree like you are now," Merida said bluntly, wiping her mouth after a large swig of tomato juice. Rapunzel shot a withering glare at the redhead, but Merida wasn't the least bit fazed and shrugged.

"Calm down, woman," Jack snapped in false confidence. "I would have told you this morning but I didn't see you." That was true and anyone would attest to it. However, if Bunny were asked, he would say that there was more to it. After all, it is not n everyday thing to spend a good portion of the morning hiding in the janitor's closet and away from the wrath of a woman's tears.

Rapunzel slumped at this as she looked from Jack to Elsa then back to Jack with a wistful gaze.

"But, but, you guys were my perfect couple. The two of you were my _OTP_!" the blonde looked like she was at the brink of tears.

"Cut Jack some slack Punz," Anna said, sporting an uncharacteristically wicked glint in her eye. "He's just a _tsundere_."

Jack was too exhausted to even know if he should be offended or not. "What language is that? I may not know a lot of vocabulary but I am 74% sure that is not English."

"It's Japanese." Hiccup replied in a dull tone, his eyes still glued on his book. "A _tsundere_ is someone who does not easily show affection." He said succinctly.

At this, Bunny burst into laughter, pointing at Jack.

"Anna called you a Japanese word!"

"Shut it, cottontail! Let's just let this topic go. Couples break up all the time."

"But Elsa was infatuated with you for the majority of her life. This is not something we should think lightly of. Where are all the waterworks? Because after all the effort she put into your guys' relationship, she has every right to shed a few tears," Tooth protested.

"Yeah, especially when you broke up with her through text," Merida chided, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Rapunzel covered her mouth in horror as she watched her OTP burn into flames.

"Drop it," Jack growled.

"Let's just give Jack some room. It was his break up too. If Jack doesn't want to discuss Elsa, then we as his friends should respect his wishes," Anna spoke diplomatically. Jack was about to sigh in relief when he caught Anna's meaningful glare. This conversation was far from being over.

The group fell into a comfortable buzz with little conversations sprouting up at a whim when Hiccup's question halted all conversations.

"What do you have against your fork, Jack?" Hiccup pointed his chin in the direction of the disfigured utensil buried into a piece of chicken. Three clean holes right through the bone.

Jack looked down at his fork, surprised himself. _The heck?_

Bunny, who had been watching Jack from the corner of his eye, smirked.

"He just saw something he doesn't like."

Catching his drift, Jack's eyes turned into dangerous slits.

"What do you mean, Bunbun?" Tooth inquired next to her boyfriend.

"Ice Prick was staring at Arendelle and Ice Princess."

"I was not!" Jack snapped.

"You were outright glaring at the poor guy. If looks could kill, Ice Princess would be dead by now." Bunny declared smugly.

"If looks could kill you'd be dead a long time ago," Jack retorted.

* * *

"So tell me again why we are all here?" Hiccup drawled, his eyes zeroed in on the words of _A Guidebook to Mechanism In Advanced Organic Chemistry_.

"This is an intervention for Jack and Elsa's relationship," Rapunzel said with a resolute nod of her head, as if pleased with the name she came up at the moment.

"If so, shouldn't the people of interest be here too?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow, his eyes, however, were still glued to the page.

"No! It defeats the purpose of having one. They'll both just deny the fact that they were made for each other!" Rapunzel whined.

"I'm with blondie on this one," Bunny spoke, his arm draped on Tooth's thin shoulders. "Ice Prick is definitely jealous that Ice Princess and Arendelle are an item."

"I may not look like I pay attention, and often times I do not, but I specifically remember Jack profusely denying any insinuations that he might be jealous."

"Come on, Hiccup," Merida huffed, "You of all people know better than to buy into Jack's load of cra-" Merida glanced at the starry eyed Rapunzel before continuing, "goldfish crackers and sunshine." An ' _ohh I love those'_ from a cheery blonde could be heard in the background. "Jack did not get jealous over girls in the past because they were practically throwing themselves at him. But now that one isn't, well, Elsa has definitely caught his attention."

"But why would he be jealous now?" Anna asked, not convinced herself.

"Because Dylan was only a catalyst," Hiccup replied, understanding dawning on his face.

"Jack is a dufus who needs a wakeup call from time to time," Bunny groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. "Gosh, I really deserve his iPod after this. And probably his social security if he has any credit on him."

Ignoring the latter half of Bunny's comment, Tooth chimed in,

"Jack didn't have a horde of boys following Elsa when the two of them were dating or before that because of Ice Grandfather's goons-"

"-security-" Anna corrected.

"Yes, security goons. Same thing. But now that the male population has seen it tested and true that Elsa Arendelle can be approached without being castrated, they all want a shot that they never thought was possible."

"So what's keeping him away from rekindling their relationship?"

"Come on Anna, everyone in this room has already caught on," Rapunzel sighed exasperatedly. "First of all, his pride won't let him admit it. Two, he never thought he had competition for Elsa's heart. And three, he has yet to realize that he may not have to become a eunuch in order to date Elsa Arendelle."

"Once he _does_ realize these, however, he will be trying to win back Elsa like a bull on a steak!" Bunny grinned as if he just discovered the secret of life.

"Honey, I don't think a bull would eat other bulls... or meat for that matter-"

"You can make me watch Animal Planet later, Tooth," Bunny dismissed her attempt at correcting him. "So, Rapunzel, what's the gameplan?"

"Well, every good mission needs a good mission name," she mused, tapping her chin.

"What about Jelsa? Wasn't that the ship name you gave them?" Anna added helpfully.

"Operation Jelsa? Please, we need to be more iconic. Some revolutionary to fit the purpose of our mission!" The stars beaming from the blonde's eyes were blinding.

Hiccup, who was silent for the majority of the time finally noticed the pregnant pause in conversation. Sighing, he finally set down his book and massaged the bridge of his nose. "If we're done here can I leave? I need to get check out another book before the library closes-"

"Shut up, you're killing my thinking bubble," Rapunzel shushed him as she rubbed her temples methodically.

"This is just an overload of work your adding to your plate. People would think you guys were planning D-Day or something with this amount of intensity-"

"THAT'S IT!"

Hiccup could have sworn that the window behind him cracked and he thanked the day he decided to trade his glasses in for contacts.

Rapunzel, seemingly immune to her own earth shattering voice, continued on to share her life-changing revelation. "We will call it: Operation Overload!"


End file.
